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Biography

Dave was born in Casper. Wyoming. He attended public school in that city and graduated from Natrona County High School.

He married his wife in 1987. That same year they moved to Colorado and in 1991 bought their home in Arvada, Colorado where they still live. For all the years in Colorado, his wife has been employed by the Jefferson County Public Library.

Dave graduated Summa Cum Laude from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a B.A. in history.

Dave is the very involved father of two children. Both went to Thomson Elementary school in Arvada, Colorado. His son graduated from CU in Spring 2013 and his daughter is attending Red Rocks Community College.

Dave was a member and chair of the Thomson Elementary School Accountability Committee from 2001 to 2003. Education issues are also a abiding interest of Dave and his wife.

After the birth of their daughter, Dave and Kate decided that he should assume the role of 'work-at-home dad'. Since 1993, Dave has cared for his children and focused primarily on their nurturing and futures. While performing this family function, Dave has also operated a home-based part-time resume service and newsletter editing business. He presently does freelance writing, mostly for internet web sites, and is entering the field of fine arts - painting.

In the 1990s, Dave became active with Arvada city government issues. Concerned about the pace of residential development, the environment and quality of life in Arvada, Dave ran for city council in 1995. Campaigning on an agenda of balanced growth and open government, Dave made it a principle of his effort not to take contributions from developers; despite being out-spent by a factor of three-to-one, he narrowly lost. In 1996, Dave was a participant in the Arvada Citizens Police Academy and found that to be a most informative and worthwhile experience.

With other concerned Arvada citizens, Dave founded the Arvada Good Government Committee and continued working for smarter growth in Arvada. In 1997, Dave ran for the at-large seat on the council and ran a competitive but unsuccessful race while still adhering to his pledge to not take contributions from developers who had interests that would be determined by city council decisions.

Finally, Dave made another attempt for a council position in 1999 when an open at-large seat was available. That year he received the endorsement of the Arvada Sentinel newspaper.

During the 1990s Dave was also active with the Sierra Club-Rachel Carson Group, serving as its chair in 1995 and 1996. He was involved with efforts to preserve the mountain backdrop and supported the Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge. In 2000, he was also an active participant in the Northwest Quadrant Feasibility Study, a study of transportation issues in Jefferson County. His commitment to a high standard quality of life and environmental protection in Arvada and Colorado were and are values he holds important for his family and all citizens of our city.

After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Dave turned his attention to national issues. An unaffiliated voter for six years, Dave saw the need for voters to have a different choice in the election for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002. Being an independent thinker, he looked for a place where he might be able to contribute to the serious debates about war and peace. Dave became a member of the Green Party of Colorado and its nominee for Congress in the 7th district.

Dave offered himself once again in 2006 as a pro-peace candidate for Congress.

Important also in both of his congressional campaigns was his position that Washington had become corrupted by the tremendous amounts of special interest money funneled to elected officials. It was his sincere belief then and now that a way must be found to restore our elections and our government wholly to the people and free our government from the undue influence of big money campaign contributions.

Dave's experiences in running as a third party candidate for federal office have re-enforced his belief that what our republic desperately needs in these times are citizens, candidates and public officials who hold by their convictions and principles.

"I have voted for candidates with whom I have not agreed on every issue. But I believe that candidates who have personal integrity and adhere to heartfelt principles will be elected officials with whom I can at least have an honest discussion. When that happens, then our representative democracy works best."

In April 2010, Dave changed his party registration to 'unaffiliated' to better reflect his political independence and progressive philosophy. However, his primary focus in recent years has been spent concentrated on his family, writing and art.

Dave ran for mayor of Arvada in 2011 and 2015 because of his commitment to genuine democracy, representative government and community economics. Though not successful in this quest (he was outspent 30-to-1 by a twelve year city council incumbent), he is still dedicated to grassroots organizing and empowering average, ordinary people -- and resisting the concentration of money and power into the hands of an increasingly arrogant elite.

A gallery of Dave's paintings can be viewed at: http://www.http://www.lechaundeler.com